Optical user input devices
View Patent ↗Embodiments provisioning various electronic devices with optical user input devices having one or more optical sensors are described. Embodiments broadly contemplate expanding the functionality of current user input devices through use of a variety of optical sensors in a variety of configurations, as described further herein.
1. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors;
a display device operatively coupled to the one or more processors; and
a plurality of optical sensors that accept user input, wherein an input on one optical sensor modifies a result of an input on another optical sensor, wherein one of the plurality of optical sensors is a primary optical sensor designated prior to receiving user input thereto, and further wherein the other optical sensors are modifier optical sensors;
wherein at least one of the primary optical sensor and the modifier optical sensors provides predefined zoom and rotation areas referenced to another sensor;
wherein, responsive to execution of computer readable program code accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors:
receive inputs from the plurality of optical sensors;
modify an output for display responsive to the inputs from the plurality of optical sensors;
in response to receiving an input at the primary optical sensor, provide a user interface for modifying one or more functions associated with one or more of the plurality of optical sensors; and
modify the one or more functions in response to an input to the user interface.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of optical sensors provide in combination inputs corresponding to one or more of a scroll action, a rotate action, and a zoom action.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors accept gesture input and one or more of click input and tap input.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors comprise a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and a third optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor, the second optical sensor and the third optical sensor are disposed about a keyboard of the apparatus in a horizontal configuration.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second optical sensor is a primary optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor and the third optical sensor are modifier optical sensors.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors comprise a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are disposed about a keyboard of the apparatus in a horizontal configuration.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors comprise a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are disposed about a keyboard of the apparatus in a vertical configuration.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of optical sensors is disposed in a central position of a keyboard of said apparatus.
9. A method comprising:
receiving inputs from a plurality of optical sensors, wherein an input on one optical sensor modifies a result of an input on another optical sensor, wherein one of the plurality of optical sensors is a primary optical sensor, and further wherein the other optical sensors are modifier optical sensors;
wherein at least one of the primary optical sensor and the modifier optical sensors provides predefined zoom and rotation areas referenced to another sensor;
modifying an output for display responsive to the inputs from the plurality of optical sensors;
in response to receiving an input at the primary optical sensor, providing a user interface for modifying one or more functions associated with one or more of the plurality of optical sensors; and
modifying the one or more functions in response to an input to the user interface.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein two or more of the plurality of optical sensors provide in combination inputs corresponding to one or more of a scroll action, a rotate action, and a zoom action.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors accept gesture input and one or more of click input and tap input.
12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors comprise a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and a third optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor, the second optical sensor and the third optical sensor are disposed about a keyboard of the electronic device in a horizontal configuration.
13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising setting one of the first optical sensor, the second optical sensor, and the third optical sensor as a primary optical sensor.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors comprise a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are disposed about a keyboard of the electronic device in a horizontal configuration.
15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising, responsive to an input from one of the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor, selecting a primary sensor from the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor.
16. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors comprise a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor, and further wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are disposed about a keyboard of the electronic device in a vertical configuration.
17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising, responsive to an input from one of the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor, selecting a primary sensor from the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor.
18. A computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code that receives inputs from a plurality of optical sensors, wherein an input on one optical sensor modifies a result of an input on another optical sensor, wherein one of the plurality of optical sensors is a primary optical sensor, and further wherein the other optical sensors are modifier optical sensors;
wherein at least one of the primary optical sensor and the modifier optical sensors provides predefined zoom and rotation areas referenced to another sensor; and
computer readable program code that:
modifies an output for display on a display of an electronic device responsive to the inputs from the plurality of optical sensors;
in response to receiving an input at the primary optical sensor, provides a user interface for modifying one or more functions associated with one or more of the plurality of optical sensors; and
modifies the one or more functions in response to an input to the user interface.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary optical sensor and the modifier optical sensors provides predefined zoom and rotation areas referenced to at least one of the primary optical sensor and the modifier optical sensors.